outside of nairobi

i had been in kenya for 4 solid weeks before i was finally able to venture outside of nairobi. i have had a great time thus far, and met many amazing people. and i didnt realize this until after the internal change had occurred...but i had not quite reached the point were i knew i had to come back here. i mean, i figured that i would certainly have to come again, but there wasnt this concrete knowledge, a realization of how great this place was. i loved the people, no doubt, but there wasnt a connection the way scotland got me my first time in the highlands.

on wednesday, after going with boniface to the street kids we went out to his house with him to see the place, and plan a little for the future.

he lives about an hour outside the city when there is no traffic, but it is worlds away from the kenya i had seen so far. for anybody who knows me, i am not exactly a lover of cities. the traffic is what gets me most, but second most is probably the artificial light which kills the stars. while in nairobi there isnt much of that light, there is also no where outside really to go to look at them in the city. the reason i had failed to make that heartfelt connection with kenya thus far was the thick smog which obscured my vision.

just a few hours in the country, and i was hooked. all of the hustle and bustle of the city absolutely melted away at bonifaces. it almost seemed like just an annoying dream compared to the fresh air and sight lines of many miles from the hill where liberty house is located.

there were no sounds of the city. no cars honking, and revving. not the constant movement of hundreds of thousands of people which goes on all hours of the day. no matatu conductors yelling out slang swahili and sales pitches to possible customers.
there was just a gentle breeze which slightly rattled the tin roofing of the house, and some of the trees rustled. the sound of running water could be heard from the flower nursery across the street. (that is not a common sound in nairobi, especially if the water is remotely clean) the random sheep or cow might let out their respective communicative noise as they got herded by. there were houses spotted sporadically across the countryside.

that description is of how amazing of an experience it was, yet there has been no rain in months, and everything that can die, pretty much has. when we go out there after some rain has come, it might be beyond words to describe.

and all that has went without mentioning the numerous fruit trees, and large garden they have there, which is just waiting on water to get started.